Nov 24, 2013
Manama, June 27 /2013. (BNA) -- Secretary-General of the Ombudsman at the Interior Ministry Nawaf Mohammed Al-Ma'awda met here today with the European Union (EU)'s Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis, who was accompanied by the Head of EU's Delegation to Saudi Arabia Ambassador Adam Kulach, his Political Advisor Mrs. Michelle Rio and the First Secretary of the European Delegation for Political Affairs, currently on a visit to the kingdom.
Mr. Nawaf Al-Ma'awda welcomed the EU delegation's visit aiming to enhance communication with Bahraini establishments related to consolidating human rights, including the Office of Ombudsman, the first of its kind to be established in the region.
He briefed the delegation about the legal framework and functions of the Secretariat-General of Ombudsman, affirming that the Office's work mechanisms are adopted according to international standards used in similar offices across the world.
In this regard, he pointed out that he and the Office's personnel had made many visits outside the kingdom and attended training workshops organised in some European countries in order to be informed about the mechanisms of receiving and dealing with complaints and grievances, as well as inspection criteria of prisons and detention centres.
The Secretary-General of the Ombudsman also welcomed continuous cooperation with EU's establishments related to the work of the Office in order to take advantage of international expertise that consolidate human rights values, particularly those related to policing.
